{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/38.2-3553.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/38.2-3553.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/38.2-3553.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/38.2-3553.html"}],"law_id":71043,"edition_id":1,"section_id":71043,"structure_id":16550,"section_number":"38.2-3553","catch_line":"Membership in a small employer health group cooperative","history":"2006, c. 427.","full_text":"A\n\nA small employer health group cooperative:1\n\nShall not limit, restrict, or condition a small employer’s membership in the small employer health group cooperative on any health status-related factor relating to an individual, including an employee of a small employer or a dependent of an employee; and2\n\nShall make group health policies offered through the small employer health group cooperative available to all eligible employees of its employer-members and their eligible dependents, regardless of any health status-related factor relating to individuals eligible for coverage through a member.B\n\nNotwithstanding subdivision 2 of subsection A, nothing in this article shall be construed as requiring (i) an issuer to provide coverage outside its service area or (ii) a small employer health group cooperative to make such coverage available to employer-members located outside the service area of the issuer.C\n\nA small employer health group cooperative shall not make group health policies offered through the cooperative available other than to the eligible employees of its employer-members and their eligible dependents.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":256119,"text":"A small employer health group cooperative:","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"A1"},"1":{"id":256120,"text":"Shall not limit, restrict, or condition a small employer’s membership in the small employer health group cooperative on any health status-related factor relating to an individual, including an employee of a small employer or a dependent of an employee; and","type":"section","prefixes":["A","1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"A1","prefix_anchor":"A1","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"A2"},"2":{"id":256121,"text":"Shall make group health policies offered through the small employer health group cooperative available to all eligible employees of its employer-members and their eligible dependents, regardless of any health status-related factor relating to individuals eligible for coverage through a member.","type":"section","prefixes":["A","2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"A2","prefix_anchor":"A2","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A1","next_prefix":"B"},"3":{"id":256122,"text":"Notwithstanding subdivision 2 of subsection A, nothing in this article shall be construed as requiring (i) an issuer to provide coverage outside its service area or (ii) a small employer health group cooperative to make such coverage available to employer-members located outside the service area of the issuer.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A2","next_prefix":"C"},"4":{"id":256123,"text":"A small employer health group cooperative shall not make group health policies offered through the cooperative available other than to the eligible employees of its employer-members and their eligible dependents.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":16550,"edition_id":1,"name":"Small Employer Health Insurance Pooling","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13348,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:23:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:23:49","permalink":{"id":215915,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":16550,"identifier":"5","token":"38.2\/35\/5","url":"\/38.2\/35\/5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13348,"edition_id":1,"name":"Accident and Sickness Insurance Policies","identifier":"35","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12698,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:41","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:41","permalink":{"id":215641,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13348,"identifier":"35","token":"38.2\/35","url":"\/38.2\/35\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12698,"edition_id":1,"name":"Insurance","identifier":"38.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":210661,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12698,"identifier":"38.2","token":"38.2","url":"\/38.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":76670,"structure_id":16550,"section_number":"38.2-3551","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/38.2-3551\/","token":"38.2\/35\/5\/38.2-3551","metadata":false},{"id":78302,"structure_id":16550,"section_number":"38.2-3552","catch_line":"Small employer health group cooperatives","url":"\/38.2-3552\/","token":"38.2\/35\/5\/38.2-3552","metadata":false},{"id":71043,"structure_id":16550,"section_number":"38.2-3553","catch_line":"Membership in a small employer health group cooperative","url":"\/38.2-3553\/","token":"38.2\/35\/5\/38.2-3553","metadata":false},{"id":83599,"structure_id":16550,"section_number":"38.2-3554","catch_line":"Provisions relating to health insurance issuers","url":"\/38.2-3554\/","token":"38.2\/35\/5\/38.2-3554","metadata":false},{"id":80804,"structure_id":16550,"section_number":"38.2-3555","catch_line":"Authority of the Commission","url":"\/38.2-3555\/","token":"38.2\/35\/5\/38.2-3555","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":78302,"structure_id":16550,"section_number":"38.2-3552","catch_line":"Small employer health group cooperatives","url":"\/38.2-3552\/","token":"38.2\/35\/5\/38.2-3552","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":83599,"structure_id":16550,"section_number":"38.2-3554","catch_line":"Provisions relating to health insurance issuers","url":"\/38.2-3554\/","token":"38.2\/35\/5\/38.2-3554","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/38.2-3553\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2006. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 427<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":215925,"object_type":"law","relational_id":71043,"identifier":"38.2-3553","token":"38.2\/35\/5\/38.2-3553","url":"\/38.2-3553\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/38.2-3553\/","token":"38.2\/35\/5\/38.2-3553","dublin_core":{"Title":"Membership in a small employer health group cooperative","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 38.2-3553","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> A small employer health group cooperative: <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> Shall not limit, restrict, or condition a small employer’s membership in the small employer health group cooperative on any health status-related factor relating to an individual, including an employee of a small employer or a dependent of an employee; and <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> Shall make group health policies offered through the small employer health group cooperative available to all eligible employees of its employer-members and their eligible dependents, regardless of any health status-related factor relating to individuals eligible for coverage through a member. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> Notwithstanding subdivision 2 of subsection A, nothing in this article shall be construed as requiring (i) an issuer to provide coverage outside its service area or (ii) a small employer health group cooperative to make such coverage available to employer-members located outside the service area of the issuer. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> A small employer health group cooperative shall not make group health policies offered through the cooperative available other than to the eligible employees of its employer-members and their eligible dependents. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nMEMBERSHIP IN A SMALL EMPLOYER HEALTH GROUP COOPERATIVE (\u00a7 38.2-3553)\n\nA. A small employer health group cooperative:\n\n 1. Shall not limit, restrict, or condition a small employer’s membership\n in the small employer health group cooperative on any health status-related\n factor relating to an individual, including an employee of a small employer or\n a dependent of an employee; and\n\n 2. Shall make group health policies offered through the small employer health\n group cooperative available to all eligible employees of its employer-members\n and their eligible dependents, regardless of any health status-related factor\n relating to individuals eligible for coverage through a member.\n\nB. Notwithstanding subdivision 2 of subsection A, nothing in this article shall\nbe construed as requiring (i) an issuer to provide coverage outside its service\narea or (ii) a small employer health group cooperative to make such coverage\navailable to employer-members located outside the service area of the issuer.\n\nC. A small employer health group cooperative shall not make group health\npolicies offered through the cooperative available other than to the eligible\nemployees of its employer-members and their eligible dependents.\n\nHISTORY: 2006, c. 427.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}